# Hosea 4.17

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-06-01 | updated: 2026-06-01 -->

**Book:** [Hosea](/codex/hosea/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 15. Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth-aven, nor swear, As Jehovah liveth. 16. For Israel hath behaved himself stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer: now will Jehovah feed them as a lamb in a large place.
>
> **17. Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone.**
>
> 18. Their drink is become sour; they play the harlot continually; her rulers dearly love shame. 19. The wind hath wrapped her up in its wings; and they shall be put to shame because of their sacrifices. (Hosea 4:15-19, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 15. “Though you, Israel, play the prostitute, yet don’t let Judah offend; and don’t come to Gilgal, neither go up to Beth Aven, nor swear, ‘As Yahweh lives.’ 16. For Israel has behaved extremely stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer. Then how will Yahweh feed them like a lamb in a meadow.
>
> **17. Ephraim is joined to idols. Leave him alone!**
>
> 18. Their drink has become sour. They play the prostitute continually. Her rulers dearly love their shameful way. 19. The wind has wrapped her up in its wings; and they shall be disappointed because of their sacrifices. (Hosea 4:15-19, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 15. Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Bethaven, nor swear, The LORD liveth. 16. For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place.
>
> **17. Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.**
>
> 18. Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye. <sup>sour: Heb. gone</sup> <sup>rulers: Heb. shields</sup> 19. The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices. (Hosea 4:15-19, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 15. Though a harlot thou [art], O Israel, Let not Judah become guilty, And come not ye in to Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-Aven, Nor swear ye, Jehovah liveth. 16. For as a refractory heifer hath Israel turned aside, Now doth Jehovah feed them as a lamb in a large place.
>
> **17. Joined to idols [is] Ephraim, let him alone.**
>
> 18. Sour [is] their drink, They have gone diligently a-whoring, Her protectors have loved shame thoroughly. 19. Distressed her hath wind with its wings, And they are ashamed of their sacrifices! (Hosea 4:15-19, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap._

- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_

<!-- BACKLINKS:START -->
## Quoted in

**Concepts:**

- [Hardening Pharaohs Heart](/codex/hardening-pharaohs-heart/)

<!-- BACKLINKS:END -->
---

_Scripture quotations taken from the **New American Standard Bible®** (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by **The Lockman Foundation**. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [www.lockman.org](https://www.lockman.org)_

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.